How Easy Is It for Teens to Become Addicted?

Underage drug & alcohol use is a widespread problem for youth. Over 40% of high school seniors report binge drinking in the past year, and almost 10% of high schoolers in 8th-12th grade have reported using illicit drugs. 

This can be distressing for parents, educators, mental health professionals, and anyone else who works with youth. The teenage years are a sensitive time filled with new challenges, responsibilities, and rewarding experiences. However, their brains are also still developing, making them more at risk for mental health & substance abuse problems. 

Explore how regions of the teen brain that control reward, pleasure, and impulse control put them at a higher risk of developing an addiction. 

Teenage Vulnerability to Substance Abuse 

Teenagers are more vulnerable to the risk of developing a problem with substance abuse than other demographics. These vulnerabilities are a combination of biological, social, environmental, and psychological factors.

Teens are in a unique stage of development, with their bodies and brains growing faster than the average adult. They are becoming more conscious of the world around them and exploring their place in it. They may fall in with the wrong crowd of friends and begin drinking or using drugs to feel part of the group. 

This period is also a common time when underlying mental health problems or trauma come to the surface. Research shows that 50% of all mental health disorders are often present by the early age of 14.  

Teens tend to use drugs at higher rates. This may be out of curiosity & experimentation or to cope with stress. According to the Institue of Drug Abuse: 

• Over 30% of teens abuse alcohol 
• 15% use marijuana 
• Around 7% of teens use nicotine (often in the form of vaping) 

Addiction and The Teen Brain 

The brain is still maturing over the adolescent years. Teens often have an overactive desire to seek pleasure, and lack the reasoning skills to think about the long-term consequences. This is primarily due to the pre-frontal cortex still growing and is the reason teens often struggle with: 

• Heightened emotions and mood swings 
• Future planning and limited judgment 
• Risky or impulsive behaviors 
• A desire for high-adrenaline activities and seeking out new experiences 

Several neuropsychological studies have confirmed the underlying neural vulnerabilities that contribute to the development of substance abuse during adolescence. They have poorer performance for inhibition, working memory, and smaller brain volumes in the brain’s reward system & cognitive control regions. 

This can heighten their reward response, but their reasoning skills are lowered. This pairing may make teens vulnerable because they can’t consider the long-term consequences. 

Risk Factors for Teen Substance Abuse 

Although the nature of the teen brain plays a significant role in teen drug abuse, this obviously doesn’t mean that every teen will develop a substance problem. The majority of teens grow up without ever touching an illicit drug, and most teens who drink at a party or with friends once in a while don’t develop an addiction. 

There are other factors at play that can heighten the risk of teen substance abuse, these include: 

• Family history, this can be genetic or a learned behavior. If teens watch people in their family chronically drink or abuse substances, this is observed and learned.

• Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and OCD are common in youth. They often surface as teens go through puberty around 12-15. If they don’t have the proper coping skills to deal with the emotional pain and manage symptoms, they may turn to drugs & alcohol. 

• Teenagers can interpret the lack of parental supervision and the failure to set boundaries in the home as “well, I can do what I want” or “they don’t care enough, so why should I?” It’s important to give your teen freedom and let them explore their independence, but remember that they still need boundaries, structure, and guidance. 

• Family rejection can cause teens to feel deeply isolated and turn to substance abuse. This is common among teens in the LGBTQ community when their family or loved ones don’t accept their identity. Research shows LGBTQ teens are 190% more likely to use drugs than their peers. 

• Victim of bullying or rejection from peers. Teens may feel like they need to experiment with drugs or alcohol to fit in. Or suffer from loneliness in school, driving them to abuse substances to cope. 

• Trauma such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse can increase the risk of substance abuse significantly. Studies show over 75% of individuals who abuse substances also have experienced trauma. 

When to Get Professional Help 

If you suspect your teen has a problem with substance abuse it is important to get professional help as soon as possible. The earlier the intervention, the better. The teen brain is resilient and can recover quicker & easier with treatment than the addicted adult brain. You may want to reach out to a local mental health center, your primary care doctor, or the school guidance counselor. 

Some of the warning signs your teen has a substance abuse problem and needs professional help include: 

• Finding drugs or alcohol on them 
• Symptoms of a hangover 
• Coming home visibly drunk or high 
• Small, pinpoint pupils or dilated pupils 
• Odd changes in personality 
• Talking openly about drugs 
• Only consuming music, content, etc, that promotes drug use 
• Secretive behavior or hiding who they hand out with 
• Finding prescription pills missing in our medicine cabinet 
• Finding liquor missing in the home 
• Isolation
• Aggression
• Depression
• Anxiety 

Your teen can benefit from a variety of substance abuse treatments, each with their own level of care based on the severity of their addiction. Some teens may require detox and a stay in inpatient rehab to get them stabilized and ensure their safety. Others may benefit from an outpatient program to work through underlying issues that drive their addiction.  

Substance Abuse Treatment in Texas 

If you identify warning signs that your teen is struggling with drug & alcohol use, it’s essential to get them treatment to support their long-term recovery. At Clearfork Academy, our team of compassionate, licensed therapists understands the complex nature of out-of-control teens. 

We offer several levels of care, including residential treatment, PHP, and IOP services. Reach out to our Admissions team to learn more. 

Sources

Reported Drug Use Among Adolescents in 2023. National Institute on Drug Abuse. 

Children and Young People Statistics. Mental Health Foundation. 

Sexual orientation and adolescent substance use: a meta-analysis and methodological review. National Library of Medicine.